Filling machine



Dec. 17, 1940. R, FOSTER ETAL 2,225,336

FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet l 3,5 Z, ,rza

25 5 s o z 3 23 as I 15 4O 1 g I 13 I H 3 HUI" 9 5 6 o 15 2:

lnvzhtoh RALPH F. Foam & RK-HRRD S. POOLE.

YVMYW Alto rmzys Dec. 17, 1940. R F. FOSTER ETAL 2,225,336

FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invntora RALPH' F. FOSTER & Rmmno fiPoou.

\l g By WM Mtov'rwys R. F. FOSTER El AL Dec. 17, 1940.

FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 RALPH F. FosTaR & Rum? Pom.

Attorncyo De 17, 19 0- R. F; FOSTER ETAL 2,225,335

FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 23, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 F1115 n ab .0" FROM START Q ?.0 FROM STAR Y 13 lmla-nkers RRLPHF-F 15R & Rmnako 5. on:

y M I Attornmys Dec. 17, 1940. RFOSTER ETAL 2,225,336

FILLING MACHINE Filed Feb. 25, 1939 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 40FRoM START I 60 FROM START Z00 FRoM START KZO FROM 51' ART 2.40 FROM STAR-r Z 60 F oM STAR-r RALPH F. FoaTER & Rmuaao 5. Poona WWW Attorrmys Patented Dec. 17, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILLING MACHINE Application February 23, 1939, Serial No. 257,994

12 Claims.

filled with cereal, the mouth of the liner is hermetically sealed by heat and pressure, then folded and tucked, after which the flaps of the carton are pasted or glued directly over the tucked liner. For filling the liner with fluid material, the cartons are presented to a high speed filling machine by a conveyor belt and, when the carton has reached a position beneath the filling machine, the carton is elevated from the belt to a position such that the open end of the liner is adjacent the discharge Opening in the filling hopper. After the liner has been filled, the carton 25 is lowered to its initial position on the belt and is then conveyed to a so-called top sealer which closes the mouth of the liner, seals the same, tucks and folds the liner and glues the flaps of the carton to form a hermetically sealed container.

It has been found that, when the liner is in its elevated filling position, there is a tendency for the fiuffy flakes to spill outwardly through the space between the lower surface of the hopper and the top edge of the liner. In order to prevent this possibility, it has been proposed to cause the top edge of the liner to abut the hopper so as to leave no space therebetween and, incidentally, to provide a temporary hermetic seal, by which the air contents of the liner can be evacuated up through the hopper.

While this scheme has proven satisfactory in many cases, it is apparent that its efiicacy depends on the nicety of adjustment of the cartonelevating mechanism, by which the elevation of the carton is stopped'at the instant that the liner abuts the hopper. If it were not stopped instantaneously, the liner which usually projects above the carton would crumble or corrugate and 50 thus add difliculty to the mouth-closing operation in the top sealer. Again, there is no assurance, unless extra precautions are taken, that the top edge of the liner will abut, throughout its entire length, the bottom surface of the hopper. The slightest space between these two surfaces might permit considerable cereal dust to be forced through the crevices due to the weight of the cereal in the hopper and the speed with which it flows into the liner. If the openings are sufficiently large, whole flakes may be spilled. 5

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved hopper or an improved spout on the hopper, which makes it unnecessary to have the carton or its liner abut the spout in order to prevent spillage. However, it will be understood that, for other reasons, it may still be desirable to provide this abutting relation. even in connection with the improved spout. The invention, therefore, contemplates the feature of being able to space the carton a considerable distance away from the spout or funnel and yet permit no spillage of cereal. This object is attained, in brief, by providing the spout with an interior sleeve. forming a continuation of the spout and adapted to be inserted to a considerable depth into the liner, when the carton is in its filling position and, therefore, adapted to be retracted into the spout after the liner has been filled with cereal.

It has been found that the improved spout or funnel provides an additional advantage in that it is no longer necessary to have the configuration and dimensions of the liner exactly correspond with the opening in the spout, but instead, the liner may be smaller than the discharge opening and still no spillage will be caused, since the end of the retractible sleeve can still be inserted into the liner.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a movable sleeve within aspout which communicates with a hopper and also to provide as part of'the same unit a plurality of fingers which are adapted to move with respect to the spout in order to engage the mouth of a liner.

Other objects and features will be apparent as the following specification is perused in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the improved coupling device or funnel positioned directly above a pair of cartons ready to be elevated into the filling position.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section along the line 2-2 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the position of the movable sleeve within the spout upon being inserted into the open mouth of a liner. 1

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken along the line 44 in Figure 1, but showing the car- 55 tons, partly in elevation, and, in addition, showing the cams for moving the sleeve or spout portion of the coupling device, elevating the cartons and for operating the container-spreading mechanism.

Figure 5 is a plan view, looking upwardly at the lower end of the improved spout, particularly showing the liner mouth-spreading mechanism.

Figures 6 to 13 inclusive digrammatically illustrate the relative position and movement of the sleeve, mouth-spreading fingers, cartons and their respective operating cams at various instants of time over a complete cycle of operation.

Referring to the drawings, numeral l designates a spout or funnel which is provided at its upper end with a flanged seat 2. This seat has openings 3 for securing the spout to the lower surface of a hopper (not shown), the spout being so positioned that the openings 4 therein are in register with the discharge opening of the hopper. It Will be noted that these openings are separated by a partition 5 extending across the spout and intermediate the ends thereof, thus forming a dual filler.

While the spout may take any number of forms, it is illustrated as havingconverging sides, as best seen in Figures 2 and 3, and parallel ends. Consequently, the interior of each opening of the spout has a smaller cross sectional area, as the lower end of the spout is approached. The bottom end of the spout is provided with a number of outwardly extending hangers 6 which serve as a support for mechanism which operates a plurality of fingers having a function which will be described hereinafter.

The cartons I, which are to be filled with cereal or other fluid material, usually contain a waxed paper liner or container 8, sealed about all of its edges, except at the mouth which is left open. This mouth extends upwardly to a distance considerably above the height of the foldable flaps 9. The cartons are conveyed to a position directly below the dual spout in any suitable manner, for example, by means of a pair of belts II], on which the cartons rest and to which they are temporarily secured. As soon as the cartons register with the openings in the spout, their travel forward is stopped, and plate H is caused by a cam action, described hereinafter, to move upwardly between the two belts and to elevate the cartons into such a position that the edges of the liner come quite close and preferably abut the lower surface of the spout.

It is apparent that the liners, during this operation, may take various positions and, in effect, may cause a partial closure of the mouth. For this reason, we have provided a mouthspreading mechanism in the form of a plurality of fingers 12 which extend diagonally outward from each corner of the separate openings in the spout, as best seen in Figure 5. These fingers are carried on diagonally positioned shafts 13 which are supported in bearings l4 provided on the bottom surface of the spout.

As will be seen in Figure 5, the shafts I3 are provided at each end with a bevel or miter gear l5, a pair at each end of the spout, meshing with one another. The remainder of the bevel gears mesh with similar gears l6 which are carried on a pair of parallelly disposed and longitudinally extending shafts H which are also journaled in bearings similar to the bearings for the other shafts. One of the shafts I! is brought out from its bearing to a lever l3. This lever is given a vertical reciprocating motion by a cam action, which will also be described hereinafter.

It is apparent that, as the arm I8 is moved up and down, the shaft I1 is caused to rock, and this motion is carried through all of the bevel gears to the fingers l2. The movements are so adjusted that the fingers normally assume a horizontal position and, upon movement of the shaft l'l, they are caused to travel downwardly and outwardly away from the center of each opening in the spout. The length of the fingers and the preferred shapes thereof are best determined by experiment, the design being such that, as the fingers move downwardly, they will catch or engage all of the corners of each liner and Will spread the mouth of the bag wide open. The cam action referred to is such that the mouth-spreading function of the fingers is exercised simultaneously with the elevation of the plate H so that the liners are spread open as the cartons are elevated into filling position.

The hopper to which the spout I is secured may comprise any suitable arrangement for receiving cereal or other fluid material and for transferring the same as successive charges into both sides of the spout. A suitable form of hopper is shown and described in the Raymer et al. Patent No. 2,037,484, Figure 8. Thus the dual spout intermittently receives charges of cereal, and this material flows by gravity through the spread mouth of the liner into the carton.

After the carton has been filled to the requisite height, it is lowered by a retraction of the elevating mechanism until it reaches a position directly below the dual spout and again rests on the traveling belt I0. The carton is thus conveyed to the next processing machine. This machine is usually a so-called top sealer, which closes the mouth of the liner and seals the same by melting the wax, the liner being then folded and tucked and the flaps 9 bent inwardly and secured together.

, While the double spout referred to hereinbefore has operated satisfactorily in many cases, it has been found that, on certain occasions, some of the cereal leaks around the edges of the liner. It will be understood that the cereal passes downwardly from the hopper through the spout into the liner at a considerable speed and any small crevice or space will provide an egress for the cereal. In order to avoid this possibility, it has been proposed to elevate the cartons to such an extent that the top edge of the liner actually abuts the lower surface of the double spout. Thus, a substantially hermetic seal is provided. This provision has offered an improvement, but it calls for a nicety of adjustment of the elevating mechanism in order to be certain that the elevation is stopped at the instant that the top edge of the liner just touches or abuts the spout. If the elevation were carried further, the liner would bulge or bellow, leaving a space between the liner and the spout. However, when the mechanism is properly adjusted, the hermetic seal referred to hereinbefore permits the ready withdrawal of the air from the carton which has been displaced by the cereal, this air passing up through the spout into the rotating hopper.

In accordance with our invention, we have provided an improved form of spout, in which it is no longer necessary to have the liner abut the spout, and yet the cereal is prevented from blowing out sideways across the top of the liner. The im provement takes the form of a slidable sleeve or funnel 20, which may be preferably made of one manner (not shown).

' which is pivoted to a bell crank lever 4|.

piece of metal having its ends welded together and formed to the same shape as the interior of the spout. Each compartment of the double spout is provided with its own sleeve. Thus, the sleeve has converging sides and parallel ends similar to each side of the spout.

As will be noted more especially in Figures 2 and 4, the converging sides of the sleeve are spaced a considerable distance away from the sides of the spout for reasons which will be pointed out hereinafter, but the ends thereof are positioned quite close to each spout compartment. The sleeve 20 is provided at the bottom with a mouth 2| or rim having parallel sides and ends which can be caused to extend into the mouth of the liner when the sleeve is lowered in a manner to be described.

The sleeve has a height somewhat greater than half the depth of the spout and is held in position by a link 22 secured to each end of the sleeve at the upper portion thereof. These links, of which there are four in the case of a double spout, arepivoted on an arm 23 which terminates in a boss 24 rigidly secured to a shaft 25. The latter is journaled in the two end walls and the middle partition of the spout, an extension therefrom being brought out, as shown in Figure 1. The shaft 25 is provided with an arm 26. As will be explained hereinafter, this lever is given a rocking motion by a suitable cam in synchronism with the elevating motion of the carton I and the lowering motion of the fingers l2 to cause the sleeve 20 to slide downwardly in the spout and to enter the mouth of the liner of each carton.

In order to prevent cereal from entering the space between the converging sides of the sleeve 20 and the adjacent spout walls, we provide a pair of plates 21 which are screwed, as at 28, to the sides of spout compartments and extend downwardly and outwardly a suflicient distance to overlap the top edge of each sleeve. It will be noted that it is only necessary to provide plates along the sides of the sleeve, because the ends of the latter come quite close to the ends of each spout compartment. Thus, as the sleeve is moved downwardly, th plates 21 close the entrance to the spaces between the sleeve and the spout.

Figure 4 shows the general operation of the various cam mechanisms for obtaining the relative motions referred to hereinbefore. The elevating plate II is carried through a pair of connecting rods 29 to a member 30 which is pivoted through a rod 3| to a bell crank lever 32. The latter is pivoted in a support 33 and carries at its upper end, a roller 34. This roller is spring pressed in any suitable manner against the pcripheral surface of a cam 35a.

The lever I8 of the finger mechanism is likewise carried through a connecting rod 35 to a bell crank lever 36 pivoted at 31 and provided with a roller 38 which bears against the cam 39.

The arm 26 of the sleeve-moving mechanism is secured to a relatively long connecting rod 40 The latter is adapted to rotate about the pivot 42 and carries a roller 43 which bears against a cam 44.

The cams 35a, 39 and 44 are keyed to a common shaft 45 which is rotated in any suitable The peripheral shape of these cams and their position on the shaft are such that, as the cartons 1 are being elevatedinto filling position, the fingers I2 are caused to move downwardly and engage the mouth of the liner to extend the same into a rectangular configuration,

similar to the shape of the opening in the spout. The sleeve 20 is also caused to move downwardly and extend into the liner. The sequence of operation is clearly shown in Figures 6 to 13 inclusive. In Figure 6, the start of the operation is designated 0, and shows the position of the cams when the cartons are in their lowermost position, i. e., resting on the belt ID, the fingers [2 being in their upper or horizontal position and the sleeve 20 in its uppermost position. These relative positions can be concisely stated as: cartons down, fingers up and sleeve up.

Figure 7 shows the position of the cams and the resulting operations, 20 from the start, which has caused the cartons to move upwardly into the filling position, but the sleeve and fingers have not yet started to move downwardly. These positions can, therefore, be concisely stated as: cartons up, fingers up and sleeve up.

Figure 8 shows the operating conditions, 40 from the start, in which case the cartons are up, the fingers have moved to their downward position, but the sleeve has not as yet moved downwardly. Thus, the cartons are up, the fingers down and the sleeve is up. v

Figure 9 shows the operating conditions,

from the start, in which the cartons are up, the

fingers down and the sleeve has moved to its downward position. This figure shows the relative position of the parts, while the cartons are being filled. It will be understood that, as soon as the sleeve 20 has reached its lowermost position, the double spout receives its charge of cereal 46 from the overhead hopper and the cereal falls by gravity through the spout into the carton, as is indicated in Figure 10. The cams are so desi ned that the positions of the parts, shown in Figure 9 and similarly in Figure 10, are maintained for approximately 140 degrees, i. e., between 60 from the start and 200 from the start during which the cartons are being filled.

Figures 11, 12 and 13 show the sequence of operation after the cartons have been filled and just the reverse of those shown in Figures 7 to 9 inclusive. Thus, Figure 11 illustrates the condition taking place at approximately 220 from the I start, in which the cartons remain in their elevated position and the fingers are'still down, but the sleeve has moved to its upper position.

Figure 12 which is taken 240 from the start shows the cartons up, the fingers up and the sleeve up, and finally Figure 13, taken 260 from the start, shows the cartons down, the fingers and sleeve up. There is then a rest period of approximately 100, while the cartons 1 are moved by the belt II] to the next processing machine, and other cartons are brought to a. posi tion directly below the spouts, ready to be elevated into filling position.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that the sleeve 20 which operates in proper timed relation with the elevating and finger-moving mechanism, serves to guide the cereal or other fluid material from the spout into each liner. It is also apparent that the sleeve would prevent the cereal from being forced outwardly through any opening that might exist between the liner and the spout. Thus, it is no longer necessary, although for other reasons, it may be desirable to have the top edge of the liner positively abut throughout its entire length with the lower surface of the spout.

The carton-elevating mechanism does not, therefore, have to be nicely adjusted, which, in the case of high speed filling machines, is sometimes of advantage, particularly where there is apt to be excessive wear on the cam surface and other operating parts.

Another advantage of our improved spout is that, within certain limitations of relative size between the size of the spout and the size of the rim 2|, the spout can accommodate itself to differently sized liners. It is, therefore, no longer necessary to have the size of the liner-accurately correspond with the size of the discharge opening in the spout in order to prevent spillage, because obviously, it is only sufficient that the rim 2| shall be of such size as to fit fairly snugly within the mouth of the liner. This advantage is considerable in the case where the liners do not run true to a predetermined dimension and configuration.

Instead of causing the sleeve to move into the liner, it may be desirable to have the liner move into a position so as to surround the sleeve. In this case, the only moving operation would be affected by the carton, because the sleeve 20 would remain permanently in its lower position.

Again, while we have described the invention as applied more particularly to cartons provided with liners, it is apparent that the invention is not limited thereto. If desired, the sleeve may be inserted directly into a carton without a liner. The sleeve would then travel up and down a greater distance than before so as to rest below the score or flap line during the filling operation. It will be noted from Figures to 13 inclusive that each carton is filled to a height preferably such as to cover the lower edge of the sleeve in its lower position. In case the fluid material is powdered soap, or other finely divided substance, the material forms an overlapping seal between the sleeve and carton, thus preventing a certain amount of fine dust from escaping.

It will be understood that we desire to comprehend within our invention such modifications as come within the scope of the claims and the invention.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in the spout adapted to move through said opening, means for moving the container and presenting its mouth to said opening, means for moving said sleeve through said opening into said container, and means for operating said container-moving means simultaneously with said sleeve-moving means.

2'. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in said spout adapted to move through said opening, means for elevating said container to a position such that its open end is adjacent said opening, and means for lowering said sleeve through said opening into the mouth of said container.

3. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in said spout adapted to move through said opening, means for elevating said container to a position such that its open end is adjacent said opening, means for lowering said sleeve through said opening into the mouth of said container, and means for operating said container-elevating means simultaneously with said sleeve-lowering means.

4. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in said spout adapted to move through said opening, means for elevating said container to a position such that its open end is adjacent said opening, said means permitting the lowering of the container by gravity to its initial position, and means for permitting the sleeve to be lowered by gravity into the mouth of the container, said last-mentioned means also serving to retract said sleeve from its lowermost position.

5. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in said spout adapted to move through said opening, means for elevating said container to a position such that its open end is adjacent said opening, said means permitting the lowering of the container by gravity to its initial position, and means for permitting the sleeve to be lowered by gravity into the mouth of the container through said opening, said last-mentioned means also serving to retract said sleeve from its lowermost position, said means for elevating the container operating simultaneously with the means which permits the sleeve to be lowered by gravity, and said means which permits the container to be lowered by gravity operating simultaneously with the means which retracts the sleeve from its lowermost position.

6. In .a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in the spout adapted to move through said opening, means for spreading the mouth of said container, and means for moving said sleeve into the spread mouth.

'7. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the sameinto an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in the spout adapted to move through said opening, means for spreading the mouth of said container, and means for moving said sleeve into the spread mouth, said mouth-spreading means being operable simultaneously with said sleeve-moving means.

8. In a container-filling device, the combination of a spout adapted to receive fluid material and to discharge the same into an open-ended container spaced from the spout, said spout having a discharge opening, a sleeve in said spout adapted to move through said opening, means including fingers for spreading the mouth of the container, means for permitting the sleeve to move by gravity through said opening into the mouth of the container while it is spread, said last-mentioned means also serving to retract said sleeve from its lowermost position, and means for withdrawing said finger-spreading means when the container is filled with said material.

,9. In combination, a spout adapted to be secured to a compartment containing fluid material, said spout having a sleeve which extends about the interior surface of the spout and is adapted to move with respect thereto, said spout being also provided with fingers which extend toward the center of the spout from the inner surface thereof, said fingers being adapted to move with respect to the spout, and means for moving the sleeve and fingers simultaneously.

10. As an article of manufacture, a compartmerit having converging sides and parallel ends, and a sleeve of similar configuration slidably mounted in said compartment, said sleeve terminating in a rim having parallel sides and ends. 11. The combination in a carton-filling device, of a food-containing spout and a movable sleeve therein adapted to be inserted in the liner of a carton which receives food from said spout, a plurality of fingers secured to said spout and adapted to be moved away from the spout in order to engage the mouth of the liner of the carton, and means for moving the sleeve with respect to the spout and moving the fingers to engage the mouth of the liner.

12. The combination in a carton-filling machine having a food-containing spout and a movable sleeve therein adapted to be inserted in the liner of the carton which is adapted to be moved into filling position and to receive food from said spout, a plurality of fingers secured to said spout and adapted to be moved into the mouth of the liner, and means for moving the sleeve With respect to the spout and simultaneously moving the fingers and the carton to cause the fingers to engage with the mouth of the liner.

RALPH F. FOSTER. RICHARD S. POOLE. 

